Spotlight on AMF:
Protesters Organize a Walk against Domestic Child Labor
"Children work because of the lack of responsibility from their parents [if] they do not assume their role in the family and prefer to send their children to work at an early age" (girl, 14 years old).
"The minimum age for children to work according to the law here in our country is 14 but the laws are not obeyed and children still work at a very early age" (girl, 14).
Photo of Children
June 2005. Domestic child labor is a major problem in Peru. More than 100,000 children, the majority of whom are girls, toil 14 hours each day in domestic work. Their pay is minimal and they have little access to school or play time. Many suffer as victims of abuse, ranging from a lack of affection to beating and sexual violence. In response, CIRCLE has partnered with the Asociación Mujer Famila (AMF) to raise awareness about the hazards of child labor and the importance of education, and to strengthen the educational system and its respective national policies.

On June 12th, the International Day Against Child Labor, AMF organized a protest walk in the streets of Cajamarca, Peru, to expose the realities of domestic child labor to the public. Over 250 people attended in support of the cause. Accompanied by music, the children carried banners reading "Children involved in domestic labor have no time for school work" and distributed 500 flyers. The flyers educated the local population on two themes: the inalienable right of children to an education, and the proper treatment of domestic workers.

Newspaper Clip
The protest walk was broadcast on television the following day. Beneficiaries, like one girl, age 13, declared, "children have rights that authorities and other people should obey, like the right for education, the right to be respected, to have a family and leisure, to be free, not to be exploited, among others. So we demand the authorities to comply and reinforce these rights so that children no longer suffer." The local newspaper published the story on the front page entitled "Children are subjected to maltreatment, psychological abuse and constant sexual violation."

The protest walk was very successful. As a result of this walk, the Ministry of Labor solicited AMF to create a list of children domestic workers and to assess their risk of abuse and maltreatment. In addition, the Ministry of health offered physical space to register children for a complete free health insurance program, and directors of non-formal schools committed to participating in a watch group for the protection of children and mothers of adolescent workers.
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